Speak Now
by painswicks
Summary: A story about Wemma and their journey back to each other.  From season 2x16 onwards.
1. Goodbye

**Basically, this is based on everything that has happened so far in season 2 (up to 16) & speculation for the rest of the season.  
Enjoy :)  
**

Holly smiled as she watched her boyfriend Will Schuester through the glass of the door. For the first time since high school, she actually had a proper boyfriend.

All of the kids looked so happy around him, and he was happiest when he was with them.

Even though they had only been dating a few months, Holly couldn't escape the feeling that she was tied down. There was so much she wanted to do with her life, but at this moment, she couldn't just leave Lima, without leaving Will. Commitment wasn't something that she had ever embraced, she even flitted from job to job and part of the reason she found subbing so exciting was the thrill of teaching a different subject every day. Nothing was ever the same for Holly Holiday; change was the essence of her life.

The bell rang for lunch and the kids began to gather up their things, so she took this as a cue to enter the choir room. Puck winked as he passed her and Mercedes and Artie took the opportunity to high-five their favourite sub.

"Hey, Miss Holiday," Rachel said politely, though deep down inside, Holly knew that Rachel did not think of her as a suitable match for Mr Schue.

At these words, Will looked up from the sheet music he had been browsing through on the piano and grinned. He was so pleased to see her that she was a little overwhelmed.

"Holly!" he laughed gently, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I just finished subbing a class at another school across town ..." she began

"Awesome. Maybe we can grab some coffee?" Will interjected before she could finish.

"Sure," Holly said, trying to sound enthusiastic, even though she knew what she needed to say would not please him in the slightest.

Will quickly picked up his satchel and kissed her softly on the cheek before allowing her to step out of the room in front of him. They made their way through the hallway and eventually reached his car, where he opened the door and let her sit inside.

* * *

Holly and Will often shared lunch together, especially since they didn't work the same hours. A neat little coffee shop a few minutes away from McKinley had become their favourite place to meet.

When they arrived, she sat down at a booth table near the window while Will went to order the drinks. It was quite busy and Holly was glad that she had time to think about what she would say when he returned. A part of her felt devastated, for herself and the man that she loved and cared about so much, though another part of her knew that she had no choice, if she continued, it would only hurt even more to say goodbye.

Will was kinder than any man she had ever known, possibly because most of her relationships before him had lasted a night or less, but she couldn't be sure.  
It would be the hardest decision of her life to break his heart.  
She just wasn't the type of person who got hung up in relationships, she was independent, and she liked living that way. Her life was less complicated when she was alone.

"There you go," Will said as he reached the table and placed a tray filled with drinks in the middle of it.

Holly took her latte and brought herself to smile a "Thank you."

For the first time in their relationship, Will could see that something was troubling his girlfriend, and he didn't like to see her upset. He placed his hand on top of hers and stroked his thumb across her fingers, gazing lovingly into her blue eyes.

Holly couldn't take it any longer and she lifted her hand from under his, bringing it to rest on her forehead, holding the weight of her head.

"Holly?" Will asked, concerned for her, "What's wrong?"

She shook her head gently and stared out of the window to avoid catching his gaze again. It was too much to bear.

"Oh, Will. I – I'm so sorry," she said, looking down at the coffee swirling in front of her, "I can't do this anymore."

"Do what?" he said, beginning to understand what she was saying.  
Will felt as if the world could eat him up right there and then and he wouldn't care. How hard was it for one man to find happiness in a relationship? This would be the third time someone had broken up with him in just over a year. He hadn't noticed any problems between him and Holly, but he couldn't help feel responsible. Remembering Emma's feelings of total anger towards him when she had found out about him and Shelby left Will speechless. He didn't know how to respond, until Holly's soft voice brought him back to reality.

"I know that I promised you I would give this a try," she started, a hint of disappointment with herself changing her tone, "but I'm not ready. I never will be, Will. It's not me. I'm just not a relationship person."

"This is all my fault," he sighed, trying to hold back the sadness that was building inside, "I should never have pushed you into dating me. I was just so lonely, and I really liked you."

Holly looked up for the first time in what felt like forever and saw how much she had destroyed Will Schuester. He had been happy when she had seen him less than an hour ago teaching the glee club, but now, now she had made him so unhappy he seemed as if he was about to burst into tears.

She gently grasped his hand and squeezed it tight. Her face glowed as she smiled into his caring eyes, desiring so much to be his best friend.

"Listen to me, Will," Holly said, holding his chin in her thumb and forefinger, "You are amazing. You are the best boyfriend I have ever had, and not too bad a lover either."

He glanced up, a grin spreading across his face. She always knew how to make him laugh.

"But it's me. I would ruin your life Will. And I need change more than anything," she continued, "I'm getting out of Ohio, Will. Let's face it, this state has seen enough of Holly Holiday, and she's seen enough of it."

"You can't leave, Holly," Will pleaded, "You're such a good teacher."

"I suck Will. I don't teach, I'm like one big kid," Holly insisted, "You, on the other hand, you are a great teacher. But remember this, no matter where I go; I love you, Will Schuester."

She leaned across the table and kissed Will gently on the cheek.

"I love you too, Holly," he smiled, accepting that commitment was not her personality, "Make sure you tell me where you are, and if you are ever in Lima, make sure you come and visit McKinley."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," she giggled, tapping him on the nose.

They began to drink their coffee, considerably happier now that they could remain friends. Deep down, Will knew that this was best for Holly, and their relationship had probably been the best way for him to try dating again before he could move on from Emma.

"Speaking of love," Holly said, placing the lid back onto her polystyrene cup, "I know someone else who loves you, Will."

Will stared at her; confused. He couldn't think of anyone who would possibly love him anymore. Emma was clearly over him, and even though he had heard from Holly that she had been struggling with Carl, he was still the love of her life now. Although it pained him to think about it, his love for Emma was no longer reciprocated.

"Who?" Will asked eagerly.

Holly paused for a moment, debating whether or not to tell him the truth. Then she decided.

"Emma Pillsbury," she beamed knowingly, and with that, she took her purse, leaving some money on the table towards her coffee and hugging Will, before walking out of the shop.

* * *

While he was driving back to McKinley, Will couldn't decide if what Holly had told him was true. He knew perfectly well that she was not a liar, and she definitely wouldn't give him false hope, though why would Emma have told her that? One thing he could decide on was that Holly and Emma had never been close.

Parking his car in the lot, Will made his way back into school, not knowing whether or not to ask Emma if what Holly had told him was true. He strolled through the corridor, which was dotted with students who were still enjoying their break. When he reached the Spanish classroom, he chose to catch up with some paperwork, hoping it would take his mind off things. The clock's ticks seemed louder than usual, causing his head to throb and his thoughts to be too distracted by it to focus on student's answers. Another hour of grading would be too much to bear. Anyway, Will felt he needed to talk to Holly about what she had said.

He took his phone out of his pocket, and simply stared at it for a very long time. Not knowing how he could have a conversation about this without being selfish or seeming as if he did not trust Holly, Will couldn't bring himself to dial her number.

Soon, the bell rang and he heard students piling into their classrooms around him. Now would be the time to talk to Emma.

**A/N: I know this chapter was about Will/Holly more than anything, but I had to get closure on that relationship before Wemma can happen - it is all relevant!  
Hope to get the next chapter out soon & please review :D **


	2. Friendship

Emma wiped a cloth across the window of her office, watching the spring rain fall and droplets gather on the outside. Rain had always been something she loved, the feel of the water trickling through her hair and sliding down her cheeks. It was one of the things that, despite its dirtiness, made her feel fresh and rejuvenated. The weather had been cold and bitter throughout the winter; there were no flowers or leaves on the trees, but she could tell by the sunbeams which peeked from beneath greying clouds that the buds would soon be blossoming.

As she finished cleaning, leaving spotless panes of glass behind, Emma returned to her desk, deep in thought. She wondered where Carl was, what he was doing, how she had made him feel. Still, months later, she was contemplating how she could have been so selfish to marry someone that she did not love, while breaking the heart of the person that she did.

Will.

Her mind strayed to thinking about him, how she had encouraged him to date and when he finally did, she couldn't handle it. Holly was so much different to her. She had perfect blonde hair, was a popular teacher and obtained the confidence that Emma so greatly desired.

Deep down, Emma knew that she was not a jealous person, not in life. But when it came to love, seeing the one person she had ever loved enamoured with someone else, she was the most envious person in the world. She often lay awake at night, thinking. Thinking about how happy she had been when she was with Will and how she had hurt Carl. Nothing could replace the empty feeling she felt inside now she was alone, for the first time in a few years.

A knock on the glass brought her back to reality, and she glanced up, expecting to see a student in need of guidance. She was surprised when the door was pushed open and Will walked inside.

"Hi, Em," he smiled, standing awkwardly on the other side of her desk.

It took Emma a few moments to remember her manners but she soon kindly asked him to sit down.  
"Will," she began, "H-How can I help you? Is it glee club?"

Lately, she had not been too talkative with him, particularly after she had had a counselling session with Holly and expected their conversation to be trivial, more like colleagues than anything else.

"No," he laughed nervously, "I needed to talk to you."

Emma was worried about what he was going to say; after all, the last time she had shared anything with him in her office had been when she announced her marriage. She simply nodded, unable to form any kind of verbal response due to a sudden dryness in her mouth.

"I need to say ..." Will said, "I've stopped dating Holly ... well – she needed to move on."

She could feel her heart beating faster, relief filling her body now that Will was not tied down.

"I'm sorry, Will," she apologised, thinking of how she felt when Carl had left her.

"It's okay, we're still friends," he assured her, and himself, knowing that Holly would enjoy life now she had no commitments, "I really needed to talk to you about something else – something that Holly said to me."

"She said that – you love me," he smiled, looking at Emma, whose gaze had drifted towards the floor.

Emma felt upset, that Holly had broken her promise; she had told her that she would not tell Will about anything that happened during their counselling sessions, but here she was, having to face the one thing that she had been trying to avoid throughout her marriage. Immediately, she tried to change the subject.

"She told you about our counselling sessions?"

Will glanced at her, confused. He had no idea that Emma and Carl had been having marital problems, other than the small arguments he had seen and brushed off.  
"Um ... no,"

"Oh, gosh. Well, I'm going to be honest with you Will," Emma said, tears pricking her eyes, "we, well we are taking a break."

He could see how upset she was, that her marriage hadn't gone the way that she had desired, again. Somewhere inside, Will knew that now, more than ever, Emma needed him to be a friend. He walked over to where she was sitting and crouched down opposite her, placing his hands on both of her shoulders and beaming.

"I'll help you get through this, Em," he promised, "You're not alone."

When she had wiped away the tears, she gazed into his smiling face, whispering a "Thank you."

Slowly, he got up and stood for a few minutes, simply enjoying the fact that they were so close. For now, he knew he would be able to support her as a friend. Hearing the school bell ring in the hallway outside Emma's office Will knew he needed to go, as much as he didn't want to.

"I need to go now," he said, "I've got to cover a Geography class next lesson; don't want to leave those students waiting in the hope of a free period for too long."

Emma gave a small laugh, remembering how much she loved his sense of humour.

He walked towards the door, turning around before he exited, asking politely "Join me for lunch?"

"I'd like that," she grinned, watching him leave the office and head off towards his classroom.

For the first time in a while, Emma felt as though her life was taking shape. Even though her marriage was ending, she felt a warmth from her reignited friendship with Will and knew that soon enough the emptiness inside her heart would start to fill.

* * *

Time seemed to fly by and soon enough, it was time for lunch. Emma carried a bag on her shoulder to the teacher's lounge and entered to see Will and Shannon chatting away. A quick wave from Will encouraged her to sit down at the table with them. Shannon stayed for a while, talking through football plays and listening to Will's stories about the glee club, though she soon left to monitor practice out on the field.

Emma listened intently, cleaning each grape before popping it into her mouth. Will was distracted by her and whilst trying to focus on what Shannon was saying, he frequently resorted to fondly watching Emma eat her lunch.

When Coach Bieste had left the room, Emma tried to chat to him about the glee club, despite her real interest lying with his relationship with Holly. Soon, the subject changed towards the club being asked to sing at prom.

"Figgins asked if we would make up a short set list," Will said, becoming more and more animated as he spoke about the club he loved so dearly, "but most of the kids weren't keen. I mean, I remember my prom ..." He stopped, recalling how he had upset Emma once before when bringing up him and Terri at prom.

"Well, they wanted to dance and enjoy prom with the other kids in their grade," he concluded.

"Of course they do," Emma agreed, "After all, you don't get to have a prom every day."

Will smiled, she was always understanding when it came to the students, and she understood him better than any person he had ever known.

She continued, offering suggestions, "Maybe you could ask the Dalton Academy? I'm sure Kurt Hummel would love to come and support his friends at prom."

"Great idea, Em!" Will beamed, "They aren't too busy now they don't have to prepare for Nationals either. I'm going to make a quick call to their Principal."

Will took out his phone and stepped outside the teacher's lounge, where the rain had finally stopped, to ask permission for the Warblers to perform.

Emma finished eating her lunch and placed her lunchbox back into her bag. Looking over to the teacher noticeboard, she saw a sign-up sheet for chaperones for the prom. She had always made a point of volunteering for extracurricular activities; it had kept her busy in the evenings. However, since she had married Carl, she stopped signing up for SAT prep or even going to competitions to support Will. It hurt her to think that the only way she could find out about the glee club's performance was through other people at McKinley. Now was her chance to start enjoying her job, the way she used to.

Returning to his seat, Will let out a pleased sigh, which Emma knew meant he had been able to book the performers.

"I'm thinking of signing up to chaperone at prom," she smiled, hoping that Will would join her.

He nodded towards the noticeboard, saying "I've already been dragged into that by Figgins. Shows how interesting my evenings have become."

She laughed gently, the knowledge that Will would be there encouraging her to walk over to the board and sign her name beneath his. There were now three names on the list; Shannon Bieste , Will Schuester and Emma Pillsbury.

Emma sat back down; excited to be spending an evening with Will, something she hadn't done in a very long time.

**A/N: Please review & thank you for all the reviews of the last chapter, it is much appreciated :)**


	3. This One's for You

**Sorry it took me a while to update, I have been busy and this chapter is double the size of the previous two, so I hope it isn't too long winded :) Enjoy!**

Waking up was easy that morning and for the first time in a while, Emma felt as if she wanted to go to work.

It was the day of the prom; she would be supervising the kids for a few hours after school while they finished decorating the assembly hall and added the final touches to the hallways, but she didn't mind. Posters advertising the night had been scattered across McKinley for months, and Emma had seen how excited the entire grade had been getting over the past days.

Slowly, but surely, she lifted herself out of bed and headed to the bathroom. She usually got up early so that she could shower, though today she felt as if she was already partly refreshed, and only took half the time to wash and dress. Something about today was going to be good, she could feel it.

As she was ready with time to spare, primped and perfect in a periwinkle blouse and navy skirt, Emma made the decision to head off to school. She could stop by the choir room, as she knew Will would be there, preparing music before lessons began.

* * *

Will pushed his hand through his hair. He was glad that the kids were going to have a great evening, but he couldn't escape the feeling that Nationals were only a few weeks away. Lately, it had been difficult for them to concentrate during rehearsals, and some of them were focusing on dance committee and decorations more than he had liked.

Every morning, he would get up, with nothing to spur him through the day, other than the glint of hope that he was leading his glee club to Nationals. Today he had come in extra early, to make up for the time preparing that he would miss later on, when he was chaperoning for prom. He was beginning to dread the thought of having to force conversation with Emma, trying to avoid sensitive topics, no matter how much he wanted to know. Just as he was running through a harmony while playing out the tune on the piano, he heard the clacking of heels coming towards him in the corridor. He had no time to talk to anyone, and Rachel turning up early to practise a ballad was the last thing he needed.

However, when a familiar smiling face showed up in the doorway, all feelings of annoyance soon left his mind.

Emma could see something was troubling Will, simply by his expression. She knew from the way he was sitting at the piano that it would be to do with glee club, or Nationals, or most likely a mixture of the two.

"Hi Will," she smiled, walking towards him.

"Emma," he said, surprised, but pleased to see her of all people, "Why are you here so early?"

"Oh, I – I just had a few pieces of paperwork to catch up on,"

"Ah,"

"Will, are you okay? You look a little down," she noticed, perception of people's feelings being one of the things that made her a good guidance counsellor.

"I'm just struggling," he replied, resting his head on his hand, "The kids aren't interested in rehearsing, Nationals are only a few weeks away and prom has taken over,"

"Will," Emma began, "Can I be honest with you?"

"Sure," he sighed, "Shoot."

"You need to relax, Will," she continued, "Just let the kids enjoy themselves. After tonight, it'll all be over, and you'll have plenty of time to work on your set list."

He looked at her for a moment, taking in her advice. She was right, he was panicking over nothing. Gently placing the sheet music back on top of the piano, he smiled at her.

"I think I'll go and finish up grading some papers," he said, winking as he walked towards the door, "Don't want to keep you from all that paperwork."

Emma nodded and realising she had passed up an opportunity to have a proper conversation; she left for her office, as he left for his classroom.

When glee club met up for their usual practice during lunch, a few of the kids were missing, and the rest were distracted.

Quinn was busy ensuring that all of the decorations were complete, so that they could be set up efficiently after school. She had taken the role of head of the dance committee, something that would almost guarantee her the title of prom queen if she did a good job.

While he tried to seriously brief the club on how much more competitive Nationals was in comparison to anything they'd been involved in before, Will struggled to retain the attention span of anyone. All of the kids were excitedly whispering amongst themselves about their dresses, their dates or how amazing the night was going to be.

After ten minutes of failed attempts, he eventually decided to let them all leave.

"Go on guys, take your lunch off today," he smiled, "Hope to see you all tonight."

Quickly, the kids filed out of the choir room, still chatting, though now more loudly. He couldn't help but notice Rachel looking upset as she was the last one to leave. Will stopped her before she left.

"Rachel," he said, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Mr Schue," she lied, not wanting to share anything with her teacher.

"I know it's probably hard for you, Rachel," Will sympathised, "What with Finn going to prom with Quinn and all ... but I know that you will have a great night, no matter what."

"A great night at home," she said, tears beginning to well up in her eyes, "I can't go there. I can't show up on my own, with no one. The one thing I wanted out of high school, other than starring in show choir obviously, was to have a date for prom."

"Rachel, don't think you are the only girl who won't have a date," he said, "I promise you, you will enjoy it no matter what."

"I don't think so," she sighed dramatically, wiping her eyelashes where the tears had stuck them together.

"I'll make sure of it," Will grinned, "Just you wait."

Rachel nodded, a slight smile changing her expression. She left the choir room, a sense of hope filling her now that there was a possibility of going to prom.

However much Will wanted to give Rachel a great evening, he realised that he had promised something before actually thinking it through. One person he knew gave great advice, and it was that one person that could help him, or Rachel, out.

* * *

Emma was glancing through the 1993 Thunderclap, smiling at the photographs of Will, at his prom. Despite the fact that she had so many bad memories relating to that book, it still made her feel happy to know how much he had enjoyed his special night.

A knock on the door to her office made her quickly place the yearbook into a drawer of her desk. Will sat down on the chair opposite her, with a troubled look.

"I have a dilemma," he said.

Emma felt a sense of pride to know that she was the person he came to for advice, the one that he trusted, no matter how angry he was with her. When she didn't reply, Will continued.

"Rachel said she isn't going to prom ... and I need some help to get her there,"

Upon hearing these words, Emma could feel a lump forming in her throat. She remembered how she hadn't gone to her own high school prom; memories of rejection and loneliness took over her thoughts.

"Any ideas?" he asked, pleading.

"Um, well, if she doesn't have a date," Emma offered, "Maybe you could try finding her one?"

"I'm not a very good matchmaker," he laughed, "You just have to _look_ at my past relationships to see that."

Seeing the hurt in Emma's eyes, Will quickly said, "No, Em ... I didn't mean us. I'm sorry."

She tried to change the subject;  
"How about asking a few of her friends to go with her? I bet Mercedes and Tina are already going together, maybe Rachel could tag along."

"Great idea, Em," Will said, clearly having thought of an idea, "Thank you."

He began to rush out of the office, but turned around before he left.

"Hey, I was thinking," he smiled, "Maybe I could pick you up tonight? I'm coming back about five to help the Warblers set up."

"Yes! I'd love that," Emma said, swooning. The day just kept on getting better.

* * *

Will spent the whole of his last two periods daydreaming. When a student asked to borrow a pen, he gave them an eraser. His mind couldn't drift from imagining how beautiful Emma was going to look. He knew she was going to dress up and he remembered how awestruck he had been when she left the dressing room at the wedding shop over a year ago. Another thing playing on his thoughts was that he would be spending a lot of the evening talking to her, something which he welcomed with open arms. He had not enjoyed the past few months, but now he finally felt that their relationship was moving forward.

Eventually, the school bell rang and all of Will's Spanish class left in a hurry to get ready for their prom. He made his way to his car straight away, so he could go home and get changed before picking Emma up. Driving down the road, he recalled how annoyed he had been when Figgins had asked him to chaperone. He had never enjoyed school events, other than glee club, and supporting the various sports teams for Shannon and the kids; though, today was an event that he was actually eager to get to.

* * *

Emma got home with a few hours to spare before Will would be picking her up. She had bought a dress, and it had been hanging in her wardrobe next to Carl's empty hangers ever since she had signed her name on the chaperone sheet. First of all, she took off her shoes and placed them on the rack which was neatly positioned next to the door of their apartment.

She let the answer machine play any messages that were stored while she went into the bedroom and began laying her clothes neatly on the bed.

'1 new message' the robotic voice of the machine stated.

Hearing the words, Emma returned to the living room, where she would be able to hear the message more clearly.

"Hey Ems, it's Carl," he started, "I know you're at work, so I didn't want to bother you until you got home. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and we really need to talk about our possible options."

"Maybe we could meet up this weekend?"

"Well, if you could call me when you get this message, thanks. Bye now."

She knew what he meant. She knew that once she met with him at the weekend, their marriage might be over. Carl was a business person, although he was a dentist, he knew the ins and outs, and she could tell that by now he would have contacted his lawyer. He probably wanted to see for one last time if they could make it work, but Emma knew deep down what she had always known; she loved Will.

Refusing to let the message upset her plans, Emma didn't dwell on it for too long. She soon returned to preparing herself for going out. After showering vigorously, she put on her matching underwear and soft makeup. Slowly slipping into her dress, Emma looked at herself in the mirror.

It was a beautiful emerald green, knee-length dress. The skirt flowed out gently and the neck was decorated with a pattern of pearls, sequins and beads. A thin belt, the same colour as the dress, wrapped tightly around the waist, showing off her petite figure.

She curled her hair, wrapping each strand so it fell perfectly either side of her face and applied a final layer of clear lip-gloss.

Emma felt ready, and decided on waiting patiently for Will to arrive.

* * *

It was very important to Will to look presentable, no matter what the occasion. He showered quickly when he returned home, and dressed in simple black trousers and a white shirt. Choosing a thin black tie from a selection, he tied it loosely around his neck, where the top button was left undone. Casual but smart had always been his style.

He combed his hair and fashioned it so that it remained curly, but sleek. Taking a last glance in the mirror, he took his keys and jacket and left the house.

Knowing how important it was for Emma to feel clean, Will wiped the seats and dashboard down with antibacterial wipes and unwrapped a new air freshener.

Once he reached Emma's apartment building, Will pulled up, the muffler of his car still dragging along the tarmac.

_I kinda liked your old car._

He remembered when she had preferred his old car, no matter how dirty it was, and how happy that had made him feel.

Slowly, he reached for the flowers that he had bought earlier that day, which were on the back seat, and he walked up the stairs to Emma's apartment. It always pleased him to see how clean and perfect the carpets inside were, how fresh the whole place felt and even before he had knocked on her door he could imagine it.

Almost before he had finished knocking, Emma opened the door. Will could not believe what she looked like standing in front of him. He had been thinking all day about what she would wear, but her dress was even lovelier than he could ever have dreamed.

After a few minutes, he snapped back to reality, and passed the flowers to Emma. She thanked him, with a sincere grin and locked the door while Will led the way to his car.

"So, Will, did you sort out Rachel's date problem?" Emma said, as soon as they were both seated.

She had never been inside Will's car before, and although the body was rusty and chipped, the interior was almost pristine. Aware of how much effort he had spent cleaning it; Emma smiled to herself, not wanting to embarrass him.

He did not reply, but simply tapped his finger knowingly onto the side of his nose. They chatted fondly for the short journey to McKinley, the way that they had done before their relationship had changed.

* * *

After helping the committee finish setting up, and watching students begin to file into the beautifully decorated hall, Will and Emma moved towards the sidelines, where Shannon and a few other chaperones were stood.

"I'm ready to break up any fights," Shannon joked, with a hint of seriousness to her tone, as if she had experienced prom quarrels before.

A few moments later, Mercedes, Rachel and Kurt, who was taking a break from performing, walked over to speak to their glee club teacher.

"Rachel!" Will beamed, "Having a good time guys?"

They all simultaneously nodded and grinned, as it was difficult to hear over the sound of the Warblers singing.

"Mr Schue, could we maybe have a word – outside?" Mercedes shouted, trying to make herself heard.

Will led them out of the hall and into the corridor, which was deserted, other than a few people still arriving or getting some air.

"So, what is it?" he asked, slightly concerned, partly hopeful.

"Blaine and I are transferring to McKinley," Kurt said, as his two friends squealed and gripped his arms either side of him, "D'you think we could be in glee club again?"

"Of course you can Kurt," Will agreed, pleased that he would be gaining two strong singers in time for Nationals, "Once you have sorted all of the paperwork out, I'll be happy to welcome you back."

"Thanks, Mr Schuester," he added, as he and Mercedes left the corridor and returned to dancing with their friends.

Rachel stayed behind, seeming as though she had something to say.

"I just wanted to thank you," she began, "For making my prom amazing, even though I didn't have a date."

Will simply nodded and smiled, encouraging her to go back inside and following her into the hall. When he reached the chaperone's table, he saw Emma sitting alone and gazing as though deep in thought.

"Hey," he said, trying to catch her attention as he sat next to her.

"Oh, hi," she giggled gently, "Did you sort everything out?"

"Yeah, Kurt and Blaine are transferring here, so they will be extra members for Nationals," Will grinned, his face lighting up, as it often did when he mentioned the glee club.

"That's great," Emma replied, pleased to see him truly happy for the first time in a while.

Hours seemed to fly by as they talked together effortlessly. Despite most of the conversation being about work and the club, neither of them minded. They were both just glad to be in each other's company without anybody ruining the moment.

* * *

As the night came to a close and some people were beginning to leave, the dance floor was clearing. The Warbler's began to sing the final song, 'Your Song' by Elton John.

"I love this song," Will laughed softly, as the music started to play.

_It's a little bit funny this feeling inside  
I'm not one of those who can easily hide  
I don't have much money but boy if I did  
I'd buy a big house where we both could live_

Emma finally plucked up the courage to ask something she had yearned to all evening,  
"Do you want to dance?"

Will's eyes widened and he nodded, speechless. He stood up and held her hand, leading her towards an open space towards the edge of where the students were dancing.

Feeling her heart pounding in her chest, Emma placed her hands carefully around his neck, clasping them together and gazing into his eyes. Will gripped her waist tightly, and they swayed gently to the music.

_If I was a sculptor but then again, no  
Or a man who makes potions in a travelling show  
I know it's not much but it's the best I can do  
My gift is my song and this one's for you_

Not being able to wipe the smile from his face, Will began to sing along quietly to the song. Emma loved the way that he knew lyrics by heart and hearing him whisper the song made goose bumps form along her arms and neck.

_And you can tell everybody this is your song  
It may be quite simple but now that it's done  
I hope you don't mind  
I hope you don't mind that I put down in words  
How wonderful life is while you're in the world_

Slowly placing her head onto Will's chest, Emma could feel his heartbeat, beating at the same rapid speed as her own. While resting his chin on the top of her auburn hair, Will could not believe how close he and Emma were. As she moved her head from his chest and resumed slow dancing, he took hold of one of her ringlets and twirled it softly around his fingers, before holding her in a closer embrace.

_So excuse me forgetting but these things I do  
See I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue  
Anyway the thing is, what I really mean  
Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen_

Kurt and Blaine finished singing and the final note was played. All of the couples who had been dancing commenced gathering up their things and leaving the hall arm in arm.

Will and Emma stood for a moment, a locked gaze between them. He brought his hand to caress her burning cheek and as the last student left the hall, he kissed her forehead.

Both of them smiled at each other, faces glowing and breaths quickening.

* * *

The rest of the night was spent helping the dance committee and the other chaperones clean up the mess which had been left behind. It was amazing to Emma how so much work had been put into making the decorations and adding the final touches to the prom, yet the chaos that it left behind was even greater.

She spent hours scrubbing the tables and mopping the floor with antibacterial wash, whilst Will and Shannon swept up paper cups and plates which were littered everywhere.

By the time everything had been sufficiently tidied, though not to Emma's standards, it was almost one o'clock and Will decided it was time to leave.

While they drove home, neither of them felt the need to talk. After all, they had chatted endlessly all night and the dance had spoken more than a thousand words could have.

The sky was clear, but dark, as Will walked Emma back to her apartment door. She pressed her lips softly against his cheek, her stomach fluttering as she neared him.

"Thank you so much, Will," she said, just as he turned to leave, "I had a wonderful time."

"No, thank you, Em," he smiled, "See you soon."

She stood in the door frame and watched him walk down the flight of stairs and out of the main entrance of the building, reciprocating his wave.

As soon as she shut the door, Emma felt overwhelmed with fatigue. She never stayed up this late and she had been up early that morning. Taking a hot shower, to wash away the dirt of school, she kept thinking about Will. Tonight, for the first time in months, she felt so close to him. She felt as if she could have told him everything, but she held it back, knowing that there would be time when they were both ready.

Emma dried herself off using a clean white towel and pulled on her pyjamas. She dragged herself into bed and drifted into sleep almost immediately. Even in her dreams, however, her mind was not still.

Will was amazing, and she was beginning to let herself believe it again.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews, it makes me happy :D Please review this chapter, I will update asap.**


	4. Obstacles

**Sorry it has been so long since I updated and this chapter is quite short. Thanks for all the reviews, they mean a lot :D**

After the events of prom, Emma had avoided her calls for the rest of the weekend. She had spoken to Carl on Saturday morning and he gave her the date that they would be signing their annulment papers. Part of her was pleased to be away from him, as even seeing him at this time made her heart ache. She hated herself for what she had done; how she hadn't been honest with her feelings when it had mattered the most. Throughout her marriage she had dreamt about how her life might've been different if she had given Will the chance to apologise before running off to be somebody else's wife. They could be the ones living together, enjoying a blossoming relationship, but instead, Emma was getting a separation from a husband that she couldn't even sleep with.

It hurt her to know how she had treated Carl. She always cared for him, and always would. He was so handsome and gracious when they had first started dating and his spontaneity added a dash of impulse to her life. As Will had said, he was making her better. Though, as their relationship progressed, Emma began to notice that her little habits were starting to take over again. She had never given him what he expected, no matter how tender he had been and she knew now he was entitled to the annulment that he desired.

She drove into school and went straight to her office, only greeting a few members of the faculty on her way through the hallways. Her shoulders felt weighed down with fatigue, both physical and emotional. Sitting behind her desk, Emma tried to complete some paperwork, but her mind couldn't focus. She noticed that the glass wall of her office was slightly marked and set to work cleaning it. Gently, but with force, she scrubbed the window until it shone.

Not realising how long she had been polishing the windows, she was surprised when Will walked through the door during lunch.

"Em, are you okay?" he asked, concerned that she was unhappy, "You've been cleaning that window for hours."

"It was streaky – and I needed to clean something," she admitted, sighing, "I couldn't concentrate on work ... I have so much to think about, Will."

"Maybe we could talk about it over lunch?" he said, lifting up the brown paper bag he was holding and smiling.

Emma sat down at her desk, and Will took a seat in front of it. She gazed into his eyes, but he could tell from their glazed appearance that it was not the way she usually looked at him.

"What's bothering you so much?" he asked, taking out an apple from his lunch and biting it softly.

"It feels like I've been waiting for so long, Will," she sniffed, blinking hard to hold back the tears, "and I'm still not there."

"I understand," he reassured, "but things will get better, I'm sure of it. You have been working on your problems, right?"

"Carl left," she said, a single tear rolling down her pale cheek, "He wants an annulment, which I guess is fair, since we never consummated the marriage."

Focussing on how upset Emma was, Will had to think twice before he realised what she had said. He had always assumed that, at least now she was married, Emma would have finally found the right person. Surprised, Will remembered how sure he had been that Carl was making her better, though now, he knew that their relationship had been so impulsive that it had only appeared that way.

"Y-you never ..." he said, his words trailing off before he could bring himself to say them.

"No," she sighed, looking towards the window as her head rested on her hand, "and - I wish I had a hold on my OCD by now, it just keeps coming back ... and there's nothing I can do about it."

"That's not true, Em," Will smiled, still gazing fondly at her, "I will help you find a therapist. I'm here for you."

Emma glanced up towards his face, where she saw the caring Will Schuester that she had been missing so much. He actually cared about her, and wanted to help her sort out her problems. She knew that Carl had tried his best, though felt in her heart that the only way that she could find herself again would be with proper treatment. Watching him cross the room to fetch her lunch bag from a pile of her things, Emma wondered how she ever let him go so easily. When she remembered, the pain she that he could have cheated on her was stronger than any hurt she had felt before.

He placed her lunch gently on the desk in front of her and smiled. Taking out a small foil wrapped parcel, Emma slowly opened it to show two neatly cut sandwiches.

"PB and J?" Will asked, smiling as he recalled when they had first split her lunch.

"Yeah," she murmured, "Wanna go halfsies?"

He nodded and she gently passed him one half of her sandwich, delicately taking a bite of her own. They both grinned and ate in silence, enjoying each other's company and the pastime of sharing lunch that they had not for over a year. Suddenly, a knock on the glass door caused them to turn around.

"Mr Schuester," Rachel said, an angry tone in her voice and her arms folded across her chest, "I was just in the choir room rehearsing, when someone rudely interrupted. They were looking for you."

Still surprised that Rachel had entered the room so abruptly without apologising, Will asked her, "Who is it, Rachel?"

"I thought that you had banned her from our glee club, Mr Schue. I was hoping to have my number complete and ready for tomorrow's club meeting; now my time has been cut and I am kindly asking you to take her elsewhere."

"Maybe you should calm down a little, Rachel. And tell Mr Schuester who has interrupted you," Emma said softly, trying to prevent her anger from escalating. Will nodded for Rachel to continue.

"It's April," she answered, "April Rhodes."

Emma's heart sank. April Rhodes had been one of those people that Will had always admired. She felt as if she wasn't worth Will's affection when April was around; especially as he only seemed to have eyes for her.

* * *

Will, on the other hand, was excited to know that his friend April had returned to McKinley. The last time they had spoken, she had promised to get sobered up and was working hard to fulfil her dream. He said a quick goodbye to Emma and followed Rachel to the choir room, where April was singing to herself and browsing the walls.

"April!" he exclaimed happily.

"If it isn't Will Schuester," April said, making her way towards him, "How've you been hot stuff?"

"Great, thanks, April," he answered, still beaming as Rachel made her way to the piano and began reading through some sheet music, "How about yourself?"

"My all-white production of the Wiz was a disaster," she exclaimed, hugging him tight, "I'm writing a new musical, but I could really use your auditorium to practice in, Will. You know the one I bought for you."

"Er ... sure," he laughed lightly. He glanced over to the piano where Rachel was glaring at him. Will knew that she was not happy when rehearsal got interrupted for any reason, and not being able to use the auditorium would upset her even more.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, handsome," she smiled, winking at him as she left the room.

Before the door had even shut, Rachel marched towards him angrily.

"Mr Schue, what are you doing?" she asked, "Nationals is only a few weeks away and now you are giving away our auditorium for April to practice a musical that's never going to make it?"

"Rachel, we can rehearse perfectly well in here," he said, becoming more annoyed with her, "It will only be for this week, at the most ... and she did buy it for us last year. If it wasn't for April, Sue could still be using the auditorium."

Grabbing her satchel from on top of the piano and stuffing the sheet music inside it, Rachel stormed out of the choir room, slamming the door on her way. Will knew from that moment that his week was going to be very eventful.

* * *

Emma sat in her office alone and finished eating her half of the sandwich. She packed away all of her lunch things, and watched April walk past her office and out of the school. So many times she had been hurt by her; when Will had said she was his first crush, when he had been oblivious to her alcoholism and the worst of all, when she had slept with him. Maybe Will hadn't told her that they were dating, maybe she shouldn't hold a grudge against April, and after all, it was her unwillingness to tackle her own problems that had meant Will turned to someone else.

Now was going to be the time that she tried to deal with herself, before she worried about anyone.

**A/N: The next chapter should be out sooner than this one :) Please review & thank you for reading :D**


	5. Dream a Little Dream

Will spent his free period before lunch marking any late test papers in his office. He had been thinking a lot over the past few days about how Emma must have been feeling when Carl had broken up with her. When Ken had left her on her wedding day, it probably hurt her so badly, even though she didn't want to marry him. He struggled to fully understand that marriage, but he knew so well about divorce, that he could offer her support for what she was going through now. He had tried to find her before school to talk to her, to see how she was doing, however, her office was empty.

Just as he had finished grading one set of papers, Will saw April arrive at his office door. She had used the auditorium countless times over the past few days, and he could see that she was really trying to turn her life around.

"Hey Will," she grinned, entering the room.

"Hi, April. Is there something wrong in the auditorium?" he asked, wondering why she would be trying to find him during lesson time.

"No, I just knew you had some free time ... and I thought you could maybe rehearse a duet with me?" April replied, smiling sweetly, leaving him no choice but to agree to help her.

"I think there's a lesson in the auditorium right now, though?" he said as he placed the paperwork into a filing cabinet and locked the door to his office as they left.

"Yes," she answered, "I've been practising in the choir room."

They both walked along the empty hallway, April locking her arm in Will's and gazing at him. He felt uncomfortable but decided it was best to keep her happy.

She gave him a sheet with lyrics and music written across it as soon as they entered. He briefly read through the words and grinned at how much they reflected her personality.

"Hit it!" she beamed, motioning for Brad the pianist to begin playing.

Singing together, April leaned onto Will and wrapped his arm around her neck. He was really enjoying the moment, pleased to see her finally taking pride in her own work and trying very hard to make her Broadway dreams come true.

As the song ended, they found themselves laughing softly, their friendship growing ever stronger.

Emma, having not discovered Will when she recently went to his office, saw him and April through the glass of the choir room door, and as it was slightly ajar, she stood outside, waiting for the right moment to speak to him. It was painful for her to watch him being so friendly with her, especially since he had never spoken to her about what had happened between them. She had tried so hard to forget, to accept that he had made mistakes, but when he was so close to April, Emma felt a sense of jealously that she did not often surrender to.

"That was so much fun!" April grinned, hugging Will tightly.

"It was fantastic. I'm so pleased with you April," he said, "You've really changed for the better."

"Well I've had a great teacher."

"You know what, Will?" she asked suddenly, eyes widening, "You should come with me; be in 'CrossRhodes' ... on Broadway."

Will contemplated her words for a few moments. It had always been his dream in high school to become a musical actor, especially to be a star. Then Terri was his girlfriend and his wife and he couldn't leave her for a dream that he knew would be hard to achieve. He still dreamt often about how his life might have been different if he had pursued a different path when he graduated, something that didn't involve teaching, something that he had really had a passion for in the past. Now, his life was the glee club. Leaving them at a crucial time would not be fair, particularly after they had worked so hard. He faced a complicated choice; chase his own dream, or dash those of the twelve kids who hadn't even started out on their lives.

"I'll think about it. Thanks for the offer, though, April," he smiled weakly, still contemplating his feelings.

Emma noticed April lift her jacket from a chair, before blowing Will a kiss and heading towards the door. To avoid any contact with her, Emma slipped behind a corner where the wall would hide her from view. She waited until April had walked out of the building through another door to enter the choir room.

* * *

Will was sitting down, his hands covering his face. He rubbed his eyes and squeezed them tightly shut, wishing he could have one easy decision in his life.

"Hi, Will," Emma said softly, approaching him and taking a seat next to him.

"Emma, hi," he said, looking into her pretty brown eyes for some form of reassurance, "I was looking for you earlier today, but you weren't around."

"Oh," she smiled, "I – I was out this morning. I had an appointment with my therapist, Dr Shane."

It took a little while for Will to respond, he was almost bursting at the seams with pride, though there still remained a feeling of sadness about April's offer.

"Your therapist?" he asked, disbelieving, "H-how was it?"

"Well ... I've been seeing her for a few weeks now," she said, holding her head up high with the sense of fulfilment, "I've been taking my pills and ... today I even ate grapes, without cleaning them. I only rinsed them under the tap for half an hour before I left home."

"That's amazing, Em," he grinned, "I'm so proud of you."

Despite his face showing care for her, Emma noticed that Will's eyes lacked a true happiness. She knew, from the snippets of conversation she had heard through the crack in the door, that it would be about his decision; whether to stay or live his dream. As a guidance counsellor, now was the time for her to do what she did best.

"Will ... you look unhappy," she said thoughtfully, "I heard you talking with um ... April, earlier."

"Ah," he said, glancing towards the floor, "It's such a hard choice to make, Em. I love these kids so much, and I couldn't bear to leave them ... or you."

"I understand it's tough, Will," she smiled, "but you need to decide for yourself. What I do know is - you are a wonderful performer and probably the best teacher in the whole school."

He blinked quickly to hold back any tears which were threatening to fall. Brushing his hand through his hair, he said, laughing slightly, "I'm not sure if 'CrossRhodes: The April Rhodes Story' is really the way to launch my showbiz career."

Emma simply let him talk; knowing that what she had said was truly how she felt and knowing how much he had always wanted this. Her feelings for him couldn't get in the way of making him happy.

He continued, "I just want to go so badly." His cheeks were now soaked with tears and his expression had become a mixture of desire and regret.

Seated next to him, Emma swivelled on her chair, so that her legs were faced towards him. She gently placed her hand on his back and left it there until he had finished crying. Will could feel Emma's fingers caressing his spine and he felt instantly comforted, as if she was the only person in the world that could make him happy again. Soon, the bell rang as a signal for lunch and they both left to eat.

* * *

Still struggling to make a decision, Will met April once school was over, as previously arranged, in the Lima Bean.

"So," April began as soon as they had sat down, "Thought about it yet?"

"I have a lot to think about, April," he replied sadly.

She grasped his hand tightly in hers and smiled widely, "Take all the time you need."

There was no conversation for a few moments, both of them simply sipped on their coffee. After a few moments, April spoke again.

"I'm leaving for New York tomorrow, Will."

"What?" he asked shocked at the thought, "So soon?"

"I've stayed long enough," she said, looking down at the polystyrene cup she held in both hands, "And I'm ready for the Broadway now."

"B-but ..." The prospect of losing his only opportunity before he had fully thought it over worried him. He couldn't believe for one minute that April was ready to leave, only being there just over two weeks.

"Listen," she whispered, leaning closer towards him across the table, "I'm going tomorrow, but I'm not going to pitch my production for a few more weeks. You're going to Nationals in a fortnight, right?"

Will nodded, still unsure of what was happening.

April continued, following his silence, "Well ... you can come and find me; if you want to be a part of it."

"I'd best be going, lots of things to pack."

She stood up and walked to Will's seat, where he remained, frozen.

"Good luck, handsome. It was great to see you again."

Slowly bending down, April kissed his cheek. He swiftly turned around and hugged her before she could begin to leave.

"See you soon, April."

**A/N: Thank you so much for previous reviews, they really make my day, so please continue reviewing :) Next chapter should be out asap.**


	6. Good Luck

It had taken him a long time to come to a decision over whether or not to leave McKinley, but Will had finally found the answer he had been seeking. It was the week of Nationals and he was extremely busy perfecting the choreography and tweaking the final song choices for hours after school each evening.

On Tuesday night, Emma left a meeting to find Will alone in the choir room, making pencil notes on an already unreadable sheet of music. She entered the room unnoticed, as he was glued to his work.

"Will?" she asked quietly, trying not to startle him.

"Emma! Hi," Will grinned, although his eyes were tired and ringed with dark circles, "I was just changing some harmonies, got to get everything perfect, you know?"

He held up the papers which were gripped tightly in his fist. Emma nodded.

"I'm sorry I haven't had much chance to speak to you this week," he continued, still scratching letters and numbers underneath the notes.

"It's ok, Will," she smiled, though he couldn't see, his gaze was fixed on the work, "I've seen how busy you are."

"I just wondered if you'd maybe thought about April's offer yet?"

These words caught Will's attention. They distracted him from anything he was doing, so much so that he slid across the piano stool where he had been sitting, to make room for Emma to sit beside him.

"Yes, I have," he said, looking at the floor as she gently sat down, without thinking twice about the cleanliness of the seat.

"Well?" Emma asked, a small smile still brightening her expression. If he was happy with what he was doing, she would try to be as well; even if it meant losing him again.

"I-I think I'm going, Em," he stammered, excited at the prospect of living his dream, "I can't pass up an opportunity like this."

"I'm glad you decided for yourself, Will," she said nervously, "I-I have to go."

Slowly, Emma got up from the piano and walked out of the room, out of the building. She had to get away.

The rain was pouring heavily and there were puddles scattered across the car park, but she didn't even mind. She ran to her car, to avoid as much water as possible.

Sitting inside, tears began to fill her eyes and her throat felt so dry that she thought she might choke. Her vision was blurred and her cheeks were pink, mascara trickling down them.

She cried and cried, until there was nothing left.

She had been so sure that she would accept what Will wanted to do, but the truth was; she couldn't. There was finally no wall between them, then April had showed up; now there was her and Broadway and dreams.

Looking through the window as well as she could through the pouring rain, Emma could see that there was one car left, Will's. She checked the time on her phone, almost eleven. Knowing she needed to be up early for work the next day, she drove away, just as he left the building.

* * *

Over the next few days, Emma avoided any contact with Will, as she did often when things were difficult. It was not a complicated task, because Nationals were so close, and he was in the choir room with the Glee club, whenever he could spare a moment.

She knew that at lunchtimes he would be eating on the go, helping the club along with their performances. Part of her still wondered when he planned on telling the kids that he was leaving. After all, Emma knew how much they meant to him, but also how much he meant to them. Telling them that he would be leaving would never be easy, whether they had won or lost Nationals.

The glee club were scheduled to leave on Tuesday, late at night, so that they would have plenty of time to practise before the competition on Saturday. Terri had provided them with first-class tickets and everyone was very excited, but nervous, to finally be going to New York after two years of hard work.

Will had dismissed the club at lunch, to go home and prepare for the long journey that evening. He gathered together everything he would need for their trip and put it all into his old car after returning to fetch something he had forgotten a few times. The last time, he was making his way through the corridor when he bumped into someone and dropped a folder, sheets of paper scattering everywhere.

He recognised the hand that was helping him to pick them all up immediately.

"Emma!" he exclaimed, remembering that he hadn't seen her all week.

"Slow down a little, Will," she laughed gently, watching him quickly stuff the folder into the satchel he was wearing on his shoulder, "You don't leave until tonight."

"I know, I have so much still to pack and organise, though," he said, smiling weakly, "How've you been? Sorry I've been so busy lately."

"It's ok," she assured, tears again beginning to well in her eyes knowing that he was leaving, "I've been fine. How about you?"

"Well, other than busy?" he grinned, "Haven't really had much time to feel anything else."

Emma gazed at a tile on the floor to avoid him seeing how upset she was.

"Hey, Em," Will said, noticing that she was distracted, "This isn't forever, you know."

"I hope it is, Will," she smiled, knowing that his happiness was more important to her than her own, "You deserve this. You've worked so hard."

At these words, Will himself felt a sense of regret and sadness. He was leaving someone he loved in favour of something he had always dreamed of. Desiring to end the conversation, he changed the subject.

"I'd best be going, lots to do."

Emma leaned forward and placed a soft kiss onto his cheek.

"Good luck, Will."

He glanced into her eyes, and saw a pain that he had only seen very rarely. She turned away and began to head back to her office when he clutched her arm.

"Thank you," he stammered, pausing when the lump in his throat held back the words, "For everything."

* * *

By the time his clock showed eight, Will had jammed his luggage into his car and was on his way to the airport where they were all meeting to take the plane to New York.

He turned off the lights in his apartment and secured the lock on the door before he set off. Emma had agreed to water his plants and sort his mail over the summer, while he was away, so he had given her a spare key. He was surprised at how it was not empty; if a stranger walked in, they wouldn't know that he wasn't going to set foot in his apartment for the next three months. Knowing that Emma would be there to make sure everything was okay truly reassured him.

When he arrived at the airport, he waited twenty minutes, until the first student, Rachel, arrived.

"Hi Mr Schue," she grinned, bobbing up and down on the balls of her feet with excitement.

"Hi, Rachel," he said, "Where are your parents?"

"Oh, my dads are just getting my things out of the car," she replied, pointing through the dark towards where two men were tugging a large pink suitcase through the automatic doors into the airport.

"Er, how much stuff did you bring, Rachel?" Will asked, concerned that she had over-packed.

"Just the essentials, Mr Schue," she assured him, although he was not convinced.

When her dads made it to where Will was standing, he could see Burt and Carole, along with Finn and Kurt making their way towards him; Finn with a substantially smaller suitcase in comparison to his brother, but both seemed minute when placed next to Rachel's.

Will shook the hands of all of the parents, and by the time everyone had arrived, the group was very large. After a lot of hugs and goodbyes, he was eventually left with the kids, who were listening intently to any instructions, whilst a few whispers could still be heard.

"Right guys," Will grinned, "This is it. We're going to New York!"

There was a loud cheer which caused many of the people sitting or standing nearby to stare. Not one member of the glee club noticed them.

"After our flight, we need to get checked into the hotel," he continued, "but after that, you are free to explore New York tomorrow, until we start rehearsals in the evening."

He passed out plane tickets to everyone and ushered them towards the queue for the desk. Eventually they were ready to leave and boarded their flight in plenty of time.

Will looked out of the window and saw the skyscrapers fill the horizon as they got closer to landing. He had done it, taken _his_ glee club to Nationals.

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews, they make it much more pleasing to write :) Next chapter is the key to unleashing the Wemma (hehe!)**


	7. Last Chance

Morning soon came, breakfast was served in the hotel and all of the kids left in groups to explore the city that they had been waiting to see for months. Will decided to go and meet April at the theatre that she had told him they would be rehearsing in.

As he got into the taxi, he felt a huge surge of excitement and relief; he was finally living his dream.

Once he arrived, Will went straight inside, finding himself on the stage, in front of rows and rows of empty seats. He imagined what it might feel like if every seat was filled and he was standing there, performing for them all. His eyes were shut tight, and he reopened them to see April running down an aisle towards him.

"Will!" she exclaimed, "You made it!"

She hugged him tight as he wrapped his arms around her and sighed deeply.

"This is amazing, April," he said, still unable to entirely take in what was happening, "I never thought I'd be here. Not since high school."

"Well here you are, Schuester," she grinned, holding her arms out in front of her and presenting the theatre to him, "Here _we_ are."

He laughed gently, but did not answer. April chatted to him for a while about Nationals and rehearsals. She explained how she would tell him more later on.

"Thanks, April," he said, checking his watch and realising he had to leave, "I have to go and help the kids prepare, but I'll catch up with you soon."

He ran out of the building and made his way back to the hotel, where the kids were waiting for him in the lobby.

* * *

"Mr Schue -" Rachel began.

"Not now, Rachel, we've got lots to do."

Will simply smiled at her and told them all to make their way back up to their rooms, where they needed to finish perfecting an original song to sing at Nationals.

He followed them up. Once he shut the door behind him on the one room where they had all gathered, Will could see twelve faces staring upset and angry straight towards him.

"Is it true, Mr Schue?" Mercedes asked, looking at him with a mixture of sadness and insecurity.

"What?" Will questioned, although he knew.

"That you're leaving us," Artie said, looking around at his friends who all wore the same expression.

"Because we understand," Rachel cut in before Will could answer, "I know if I got the chance to be on Broadway I'd take it without a second thought."

"Me too," smiled Kurt.

Will stared at the navy blue carpet for a few moments, tracing the pattern with his eyes. He had hoped that this situation would never arrive, at least not while they were in New York. His answer would undoubtedly dampen the team spirits for their competition.

Then he discovered what truly mattered to him.

Nothing in the world would let him give up all that they had worked for over the past two years, not even the chance to live his dream.

"I'm not going," he said defiantly, "We've been working towards this for a long time, and I'm not giving up on you now."

Most of the room cheered and every one of them ran towards Will, hugging him tightly.

"I knew you wouldn't leave us, Mr Schue," Puck grinned as he was almost crushed by the force of the entire glee club before they eventually loosened their grips.

* * *

For the next few days, Will avoided going anywhere near the theatre or calling April. He was still trying to come to terms with what he had chosen to do. Deep down, he knew that he had made the right decision, though Broadway would always hold a place in his heart. Something also told him that he was not choosing to pass up the opportunity just for the glee club; he could never have left Emma behind without regretting it.

It was the night before Nationals and Will allowed the kids to take a break from their final rehearsal for dinner.

While he was sitting nearby in the hotel restaurant, he noticed his phone light up for the first time since he had left Ohio. He answered reluctantly.

"Hi April,"

"Will, how's it going?"

"Er, good, I think. We're prepared, so hopefully everything will go okay tomorrow."

He cut in before she could reply, "April ... I – I can't do the show."

She sighed deeply and Will could tell by her breath that she was disappointed.

"It's ok, Will. I was surprised that you ever agreed. Those kids are your dream, I get it."

"I'm so sorry," he said, with a sincere tone, "I just love teaching, especially glee club."

"Don't worry; I'm sure there are plenty of talented young men looking to play a male lead in New York, right?" April said shakily.

"Right."

"Well, I'd best prepare for my first rehearsal. I'll let you get back to yours. Good luck."

Will was just about to give her his best wishes, though she hung up straight away. He felt as if he had let her down, despite the understanding that she had offered.

* * *

All of the kids had quickly retired to their bedrooms, attempting to get a good night's sleep. However, from the constant whispering and footsteps that occurred until late, Will could tell that it was unlikely.

He even struggled to relax his own mind. There were so many things that he couldn't help but think about that sleeping seemed impossible.

Lying in bed, he wished that he could talk to Emma; seek some guidance, a friendly voice when he felt so alone. Although, he was constantly unable to find the courage and felt sure that she would be soundly asleep by now.

Closing his eyes gently, Will imagined what it might feel like if he was watching Emma dream. He thought about her beautiful red curls, falling delicately either side of her soft cheeks. Her eyes, so big and sparkling when she looked at him, would be covered by their lids. He visualised how her long eyelashes may flicker as she dreamed, her expression tranquil and peaceful.

Suddenly, Will was reacquainted with reality when he heard his phone vibrating on the table next to his bed. He picked it up, sleepily, realising that he had drifted off for almost an hour. When he noticed the name flashing up on the screen, he almost believed that he was still dreaming.

"Emma?" he grinned, holding the phone next to his ear.

"Oh, hi Will," she answered, sounding slightly flustered, "Sorry ... I shouldn't have called, it's so late."

"You have no idea how much I have wanted to hear your voice," he said, still beaming and beginning to feel happier than he had felt for the last few days.

"Really?"

"Yes, I've been feeling lonely," Will replied quietly.

"Lonely?" Emma laughed, "Will, you have twelve teenage kids there with you. You have got to be kidding!"

Will stopped for a moment, thinking about what she had said. It was true, he was surrounded by students who he cared for, but there was still something, someone missing.

"Anyway," she continued, after his short silence, "I had to ask you how often you wanted me to check on your apartment over the summer. I don't want your plants to die."

"And you had to call at ..." Will checked the alarm clock at his bedside, "Eleven-thirty p.m. to ask me that?"

Now it was Emma's turn to pause. He had an idea of why she had called, though he did not want to embarrass her further so tried to drop the subject. Immediately, however, she answered.

"No," she said, somewhat definitively, "I called at this time to wish you luck for tomorrow. I'm at a training course in the day and thought it would be best to say it now, in case I don't get the chance."

At these words, Will felt the way that he only did when Emma spoke to him. She was one of the few people who actually bothered to offer their support, even after the way that he had treated her. He knew that no matter what, he could count on her to be there for him.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome ... and the apartment?"

"Every few days should be fine, thanks again."

"Bye, Will," Emma said, and he was sure that he heard a sigh.

"Bye, Em. I miss you."

As he placed his phone back onto the nightstand, Will realised that he had forgotten to explain to Emma that he wouldn't be staying in New York, or performing over the summer. He had got caught up in the moment, enjoying listening to the sound of his friend, someone who cared.

Sleeping was not difficult once his mind was settled by Emma's voice. He would explain everything to her soon enough.

**A/N: Thank you for reviewing and please review this chapter :) It means a lot to me and helps me to keep writing, so thank you very much.**


	8. Competition

Emma awoke to the sound of the alarm clock. She lay still for a moment, her eyes wide open, thinking about what Will had said the night before. His words had repeated themselves over and over again in her mind as she drifted off to sleep; "I miss you."

Had he been daydreaming about her and what she might be doing, the same way that she had about him?

It took at least ten minutes until she lifted herself out of bed, placing slippers on her feet and pulling on a dressing gown. She made herself some coffee and drank it slowly. Breakfast seemed like the last thing she wanted to do.

The training course began in a few hours, and she would have to sit through lecture after lecture, telling her things that she already knew.

In a few hours, Will would be dressed and taking the glee club into a theatre in New York. They would be signing in and performing while she would be taking notes and pretending to listen. She longed to be there with them.

Reluctantly, Emma forced herself into the shower. She washed for less than half an hour; her showers were becoming shorter each day, now she went to therapy and took her medication.

Once she had dressed, she picked up her things from a table near the door and left for McKinley.

* * *

Will was wearing his favourite shirt and tie before six o'clock. He looked out of the window at the sky, which was still dark and cloudy after showers throughout the night. Sleeping was restless; he had tossed and turned countless times, considering all of the problems that could ruin the glee club's chances.

He read over the itinerary for an hour, until it was time for him to wake the students.

Walking softly out of his room and towards the two that they were split between, Will was surprised when Rachel opened the door even before he had knocked.

"Hi Mr Schue," she grinned, dressed in her outfit for the competition.

Will smiled and looked around their room to see that the girls were all ready or almost finished. He imagined that they, like him, had been too nervous, or excited, to sleep for long.

When he turned around to knock on the door of the boys' room, they were all standing in front of him, smartly prepared for Nationals.

Over breakfast, although no one really ate much at all, Will briefed the club again on what would happen. They left the hotel at around nine, so that they could pile into taxis and meet up at the theatre in time to sign in.

* * *

When she finally pulled into McKinley, after a journey which felt longer than it was, Emma gathered her things and went inside.

She went straight to the classroom where the course was being held and watched a middle-aged man drawing a diagram on the board. Only a few other teachers were there, scattered around the room, whispering to each other. They were those colleagues that she tried to avoid as often as possible. She took a seat near the wall in the corner of the room, feeling as if she was back at high school. Beginning to take antibacterial spray from her bag, she stopped; remembering that there was nothing she needed to be afraid of, Dr. Stone had promised her that.

When Coach Beiste walked in, Emma could almost have jumped up and hugged her. Over the past few weeks, she, Will and Shannon had joined together to eat lunch and their friendship had grown. Emma had noticed her warm heart and passion for teaching immediately, it reminded her so much of Will when they had first met and he had helped her get used to her new job.

"Hey Emma," Shannon said, sitting down next to her and placing a huge pile of folders onto the desk, "I didn't know that you'd got dragged into this as well. Should be_ fun_, huh?"

"Yeah," she replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes and laughing slightly, "I hate these things, don't you? It feels like a waste of my Saturday, learning things I already know."

"I know," Shannon agreed, "Seems like this could be worse than usual."

She nodded towards the man who was leading the training, still adding notes to a diagram that had already taken up the entire board.

"Shall we begin," he said, as Emma and Shannon poised their pens ready to write.

* * *

"Right," Will shouted, trying to make himself heard over the chattering of various glee clubs who had gathered in the foyer, "We're going on in about an hour's time, so we have a little time to prepare ourselves,"

"I don't want to make you over-excited, but I really think that the talent we have could put us in a good position to win this thing. And remember guys, I believe in you."

The McKinley kids all began to talk amongst themselves as Will scanned the room to watch their competition. He thought about how much more he would've enjoyed the moment if Emma was there, supporting them and helping him through.

Time seemed to fly past and soon a voice over the PA called them to prepare backstage.

Rachel and Kurt seemed anxious for the first time since they had left Lima, and everyone else shared their worry. However, there was a sense of happiness and harmony within the group, which was rare, but always happened when they came together to perform. They respected the talent of each other, and that was why competitions had been something that they did well.

Will wished them all luck as they took their places on the stage and were cheered on by the audience.

The performance only lasted 6 minutes, long enough for two songs. He watched on with pride. Those kids that had barely sung before in their lives when he had taken them on were now in a show choir competition at National level.

Suddenly, at the end of performance, he saw Finn kiss Rachel full on the lips.

Will could barely believe what they had done, all that they were willing to jeopardise for the sake of their relationship.

The rest of the glee club looked on, horrified. As the audience were shocked into silence, they made their way out and back into the foyer where they would await the results following Vocal Adrenaline's performance.

"How could you do that?" Santana yelled as soon as they had left the main stage. She began to make her way towards Rachel aggressively. It took three people, including Will, to hold her back.

"Do you think they've ruined our chances, Mr Schue?" Kurt asked, concerned for the competition.

Will looked at Finn and Rachel, then at the floor. He didn't know how to answer. Deep down, he knew it was true that the judges would look on their behaviour as inappropriate and it would harm their placing.

"Hopefully," he sighed, "they will think about the amazing performances you guys gave, rather than let this - uh ... event, cloud their judgement."

His words offered no consolation to the club, who were convinced that they had lost.

* * *

After seven long hours at McKinley, Emma and Shannon finally left for home. Shannon had said something about taking the edge off at her favourite bar, but Emma's thoughts still lingered around how the glee club had got on.

She drove home, prematurely tired by the monotonous tone of the lecturer that she had listened to all day. Remembering that she had not eaten breakfast that morning, she made herself some toast and tea, before settling down on the sofa to relax. As soon as she had taken a sip of her drink, the phone rang and she almost dropped the mug in anticipation of answering.

"Hello," she said, trying to make her voice sound less enthusiastic than she felt.

"Hi, Em, it's Will," he said.

"Will!" Emma grinned, "So, how'd it go?"

"Well, we got 12th place Em," he sighed sadly, "I guess we'll just have to work extra hard next year."

"Don't be so upset Will," she said, attempting to heighten his spirits, "You got 12th out of what, 50 glee clubs, or more? After you lost Regionals last year, I think that's an achievement."

Will laughed softly, "I guess so. You always know the right thing to say."

"They might need a bit of guidance come Monday, though. The vibe isn't too good right now." He added.

"That's what I'm here for," she smiled. Then remembering he wasn't coming back, her heart sank.

"I'd better go and make sure that they are packing, so I'll see you around," he said, ending the call.

After encouraging all of the kids once again to pack their suitcases entirely, so that they could catch an early flight in the morning, Will decided that he would have to tell Emma that he was coming back with them.

He returned to his hotel room and finished placing the last of his things into his bag. Then he lay down on his bed, his tie loosened, but still wearing his shoes and suit. He recalled being so optimistic and excited that morning when he got dressed, believing in his heart that the club actually stood a good chance of winning. Now he glanced over to the tiny, pathetic, twelfth place trophy, smaller than their trophy from sectionals and wished that things had gone a little differently.

Trying to take his mind off things, he texted Emma to avoid another awkward phone call.

_Hi Em. I'm coming back with the kids, Broadway not going ahead. Tell you more later. Will._

**A/N: Thankyou again for the reviews, I can't thank you enough to know that people are reading and enjoying what I write. Please keep reviewing and reading :)**_  
_


	9. Returning

The club were returning to Lima from New York on Sunday afternoon, so that the kids could enjoy as much as possible, while still being prepared for school on Monday.

Will noticed a strong sense of disappointment on the plane journey home, and though he would usually attempt to raise their spirits, this time he couldn't fake a smile.

He had been concerned when Emma had not replied to his text message the evening before. He hoped so much that she would understand the longing he felt to see her, that feeling that he had never encountered until he met her, though he worried that she had ignored him due to anger.

Even though he had given up his Broadway career in hope of pursuing a relationship with the one woman he truly loved, Will had only just begun to let his confidence falter. Of course Emma knew how he felt, he had explained all of that to her a year previously, when she had started her romance with Carl, though he had never heard Emma express that she felt the same way.

She had been the one to push him into his dream, and he understood that was because she cared about him, but how much?  
Did she simply want to remain good friends to avoid any of the hurt he had unintentionally caused her in the past?

These were the things plaguing his mind as the plane passed over city to city, waiting until it reached its destination, Ohio.

* * *

Emma woke up with a start that morning, as though a distant sound had disturbed her dreams of Will. She often dreamt the same dream, in different locations.

She and Will were walking hand in hand, across the park, or along a beach, and he would stop. He played with her hair and she gazed into his attractive hazel eyes. Then he would tell her that he loved her more than anything, and she would try to respond. Her voice would become broken and she choked, brought back to reality by waking suddenly. Every time, her cheeks glistened with tears and a surge of emptiness swept over her.

However, today, her dream had barely begun, she and Will had only reached the end of an orchard that she had played in as a child and he had not quite touched a strand of her hair before she awoke.

As Emma folded the covers neatly on the bed, her phone became entangled with sheets, the flashing messages hidden entirely from view. She took a short shower, timing it as her therapist had encouraged her to and returned to her bedroom, wrapped in a white towel.

Her many clothes, still arranged in colour and style order, something she could not yet face changing, hung tidily in the wardrobe. Eventually, she decided to wear a pale blue dress, one that she did not wear to work, nor had worn for a long while. The day was beginning warm and bright, so the light cotton of her clothes, she decided, would help her to feel more comfortable.

Today she had planned to go to Will's apartment to water his plants and gather any letters he may have had delivered since Tuesday, the first time she had visited since he had left for New York. Monday meant she would be busy again at school, so this may have been her only opportunity for a short while and she hated the thought of things left untidy.

* * *

A quiet chattering in the row behind him reassured Will a little. He hoped that the kids would gradually accept their defeat and begin to talk again, just enough to make glee club rehearsals bearable. Rachel and Finn had decided on seats next to each other, but far enough away from most of the club to avoid Santana and Quinn's incessant whispering about them. Quinn, Will had noticed, was particularly angered by their kiss, where as Santana resorted to mumbling insults in Spanish to avoid provoking anything more.

After most of the kids had become silent, clearly tired from a lack of sleep and the deflation of their spirits which had been so high just hours earlier, Will resorted to gazing out of the window. He watched the clouds and the blue sky coursing past the small panel that gave him a glimpse into the world outside. Soon his daydreams were interrupted when the pilot announced their landing and the plane ground to a halt at the end of the runway.

He stepped off the plane, following a long line of people, including the glee club in its entirety into the airport. Some of the kids rushed towards their parents straight away, waiting to gather their luggage and set off for home. Kurt, Finn and Brittany lingered for a while, the former two collecting their belongings and waiting to be collected.

Will lifted his bags from the conveyor belt and walked slowly towards Brittany who was wearing a confused expression that he was now so used to seeing.

"What is it, Brittany?" he asked her with a weak smile.

"I just can't remember what my suitcase looks like Mr Schue," she answered sadly, "I don't know if it's pink or purple or blue or anything."

"Maybe if you see it, you might recognise it?" Will suggested, glancing towards the large amount of luggage making its way into the room.

Before they could make their way towards the conveyor, Santana's voice emerged from the crowd, "Brit, come on! My mom's waiting for us."

"I can't find my –" Brittany paused, rushing towards a white bag with a polka dot pattern, one of the two that Santana was dragging behind her, "SUITCASE!"

Will grinned at Brittany's innocence and the care that her best friend always showed towards her, no matter what. They left the airport together, giggling quietly at a comment that one of them had made. It reminded him somewhat of he and Emma, when they had first been friends.

Soon afterwards, Will made his own way to a taxi that had pulled up outside, so that he could get home. He placed his bag and jacket on the seat next to him, told the driver where he needed to go and watched the journey through the window.

* * *

Emma unlocked the door using a key that Will had entrusted to her. She felt pleased that he had chosen her of all people to keep an eye on his home while he would be away, though the empty apartment exaggerated her loneliness as soon as she entered.

Gently closing the door behind her, she gathered up the letters and newspapers that were scattered on the mat and placed them neatly on a table next to the phone.

She threw her things onto the sofa and walked into the kitchen, passing the dining table as she went. Every time she was here, Emma couldn't stop remembering the times that she had been with Will in these rooms.

She recalled setting out the dinner things, when Terri had popped by, only beginning to end their brief relationship with her revelation about their song. Of course they had had good times, where Emma had felt as though Will was the only thing that mattered to her in the world. However, more often she imagined Will and April, or Will and Shelby cuddling together on the sofa, passionately embracing each other, and she felt so heartbroken she could not think about it anymore.

In the kitchen, she opened a cupboard and took out a small plastic watering can that she had used before. She turned on the tap and let the cold water fill and run over into the sink, too busy watching idly out of the window to realise what she was doing. When the icy liquid touched her hand, Emma was suddenly aware of it and pulled away quickly, pouring out the excess from the can.

She circled the apartment slowly, stopping at each plant to watch the water be absorbed through the soil. Nature had always interested her, though the conflict of her problems had never let her experience the wonders of it.

For the first ever time that she could remember, Emma knelt down beside a parched fern and plunged her hand into the dirt. She caressed it softly in her hands, her fingers sensing the grainy touch of the soil. Her mind did not stray to panic or worry, she just sat still, smelling the fresh, earthy scent that it left behind. Glancing at her hand, now stained dark, she seemed to recall an early memory from her childhood, when she had helped her grandparents sow seeds in their vegetable patch.A huge wave of joy and relief swept over her at this thought, and then the regret set in.

How could she have missed so much, just because of hindrance that had controlled her life since such a young age?

* * *

Will lifted his bags out of the cab, onto his shoulder and paid the driver.

He was still angry, upset and disappointed; the glee club had lost, his Broadway dreams had again, not worked out, and worst of all, his best friend seemed to be ignoring him. On the journey from the airport to his apartment block, Will had decided on taking a nap when he finally arrived.

Fatigue had set in, something that had crept up on him following long days of rehearsal and sleepless nights. Emma was the only one whose voice had been any comfort during his days of despair in the past and he really wished that he could talk to her, though now he was so tired.

He walked sluggishly up the stairs, upon being further annoyed at an 'Out of Order' sign taped to the lift, eventually reaching his apartment. When he arrived, he realised that his keys were lost deep within the dark pockets of one of his bags, so resorted to searching through them.

Soon enough, he found the key fob with a selection of his keys attached to it and turned the key quietly in the door, glad to be home at last.

**A/N: Thank you for reviewing, I think the next chapter may be the last, though it depends how it turns out when I write it . Please enjoy & review!**


	10. Honesty

"Will?" Emma gasped as the front door opened and the owner of the apartment walked through it.

"Oh, Em, hey!" he chuckled, "What are you doing here?"

Emma stood up from her present position of watering the plants and dried off her hands with a clean cloth.

"I – I was looking after your apartment," she said, still in shock at the sight of her friend, "I thought you were staying in New York?"

Her mind could barely handle the confusion. She had only been speaking to him on the phone a few hours ago, yet now he was here standing in front of her. Why had he not explained to her that he was not staying, if that was why he was there?

Annoyance was another emotion that crossed her; she could have been saved so much heartache and longing if he had just told her the truth when he had had the opportunity.

Will did not reply. He stood still, only gently placing his bags onto the floor when the weight became suppressive.

Emma made a decision to walk towards him, noticing that he seemed unable to move or provide a sufficient reply.

Her arms wrapped themselves around his waist and she subconsciously rested her head on his chest, the fast beat of his heart calming her slightly. He returned the hug by holding her close and squeezing her shoulder soothingly.

Emma was amazed at how familiar and soft Will's torso felt to her, despite their lack of closeness for over a year. It was different when Carl had held her. She had struggled to feel relaxed, the way she did now.

* * *

Will let out a gentle sigh and pushed himself apart from Emma. He had finally plucked up the courage to speak.

"It's a long story," he answered at last, sitting down on the sofa and waiting for Emma to do the same.

"I want to hear it," she smiled, turning to face him.

"The whole time I was in New York, I couldn't settle," he began, "At first I thought it was just nerves, or excitement at maybe getting the chance to perform again, on the big stage,"

"But when I went to see April -"

Emma let out a quiet cough and shifted her gaze towards the sunlight that was reflecting on the polish of his shoes.

"- it didn't feel right," he continued, remembering his experiences that felt a lifetime away, "there was something missing."

Will paused and looked at Emma, a single red curl falling forwards and obstructing his view of her eyes, which were fixed on something near the floor. She seemed upset, as though even a glance in his direction might cause tears to begin glazing her sight.

"Emma," he said. He took her hand in his own and gripped it tightly, so she was forced to look up.

Her face was pink and her lips were quivering.

"Tell me what's wrong."

She cleared her throat and shakily started to speak, "I have so many things to say to you, Will."

"You can tell me anything, Em," he said sincerely, still holding her hand.

"I've made a lot of mistakes in my life," she continued, "I could barely even talk to you when you went off with April and Shelby ..."

"Emma," Will cut in, knowing that he needed to make her understand, "I will never forgive myself for hurting you like I did ... but you have to please listen to me now."

Emma watched his eyes move swiftly as if there were many thoughts rushing around his mind.

"I had just gone through a divorce," he said, "where I'd lost my wife and my child. Then I rushed into a relationship with you, which I don't regret, though I wish I had waited for the right time. Shelby was just a way for me to vent out my feelings, it was meaningless to me."

"Will, I know you're sorry," Emma smiled weakly, "I just don't know if I will be able to trust you properly again."

Will sighed deeply and pushed his hand through his hair.

"As for April," he added, determined to finish, "Nothing happened. We're very close friends, but that's all. She was lonely and I was lonely ... so she slept here."

"That's all?" she asked, embarrassed at how quickly she had accused him, "Y-you just slept?"

He nodded. She believed him as soon as he spoke, his truthful tone reassuring her. She had learned to tell when he was being honest, which he almost always was with her.

"All I'm trying to say is ... Emma, I missed you and ... I'm staying in Ohio."

* * *

Emma shifted slightly, and turned her body away from him. No matter how much she had been thinking about him and wishing for him to come back, she couldn't prevent herself from feeling responsible for forcing Will away from his dream.

After a few moments thought, she decided to speak.

"Why did you really come back, Will? What could be important enough to stop you from living your dream?"

He got up from the sofa and entered the kitchen, overcome by emotion.

Filling the kettle with water and turning it on to boil, he listened to Emma's heels echoing as they crossed the room to join him. Two mugs were placed for coffee on a counter nearby and then, remembering Emma's problems, he doubled back to scour one completely.

Before he could turn on the tap, she gripped his arm to stop him. He looked at her, unsure of what she meant, but as soon as he noticed her caring smile, he placed the mug back onto the counter, sighing.

"I know I gave up," he said, supporting himself with his hands resting on the sink.

Water rushed into the mug that was placed underneath the faucet, cleansing it enough to be used.

"No, Will," Emma interrupted, standing next to him and trying to determine his expressions, "you didn't give up. You did your job,"

"Teaching is the most important thing to you, particularly glee club, and I suppose not even Broadway managed to change that."

He rotated his body so that he was no longer standing over the sink but contemplating how perfect she was to him.

She understood his every thought and feeling; he didn't even need to speak for her to know what was troubling him. Nothing would make him happier than for her to give him a second chance, where there would not be one person or problem that could ruin their relationship. Though he believed that this was unlikely, considering everything that had happened over the past year.

"I didn't come back just for the kids," he added, pouring the scalding water into the two mugs and stirring as the coffee dissolved, "I came back for you."

Emma stared at him, her eyes widened with surprise. There had always been a slight yearning in her heart that had allowed her to hope for this moment, the moment where Will had apologised and had returned home especially for her. This was it; she had been dreaming about for months, however, now it was here, she wasn't ready.

She took the coffee from Will, placing it back on the counter almost immediately, to prevent burning her fingers. Contemplating what to say or do, she held her head in her hands. He watched her and worried that he had hurt her again, something that he had begged himself never to repeat.

His mug was also placed on the counter beside him and the lump in his throat seemed to be blocking any form of response, similarly to her.

Walking towards him, Emma locked her gaze with his hazel eyes.

"I love you," she whispered so quietly that Will was unsure of whether it was reality.

"I love you too, Em," he said, pushing her hair behind her ear and stroking her pale cheek with his thumb.

She closed the gap between them and wrapped her arms around his waist. He smiled and held her close.

Slowly, Emma pressed her lips softly against his and closed her eyes.

Her stomach flipped and she felt pleasantly light headed, the way she always did when she was this close to Will.

He returned the kiss more forcefully, running his left hand through her hair and gripping the small of her back with his other.

They pushed apart and stood still, looking at one another for minutes until Emma returned to her coffee cup.

She beamed at him from behind the mug as she sipped the drink.

Will's grin back truly expressed the nature of their love.

**A/N: Apologies for taking a long time to update, I have been busy with school and other things kept preventing me from writing. Thank you very much for your reviews and patience and I hope that this chapter was sufficient; please review.**


	11. Unsure

**A/N: Sorry it took me such a long time to update, I'm still at school at the moment, so schoolwork and writers' block have had their fair share of preventing me writing.**

Remembering the events of the previous day, Emma struggled to come to terms with how she felt. She had left Will's apartment quickly, trying to contemplate what had happened, though after twelve hours, she was still unsure.

She dressed and headed off for work, thinking about how she should react when she met him at school. Of course, she loved him, but she didn't know if she'd ever be ready to properly embrace the feeling. Everything had gone by so fast; it had all become a blur of confusion when she tried to relive the events of his return home. All she knew was, he had come back especially for her.

Emma entered her office silently and sat down behind the desk, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands. Sleeping had been difficult when she had had so much to think about. Her eyelids were threatening to close, but she held them open with the tips of her fingers and drank coffee from a flask that she had just placed down.

When the liquid touched her throat she winced. It was stone cold. She had mindlessly filled the flask with coffee and freezing water from the tap, in her attempt to wake up. Despite this, she continued to drink, knowing that the caffeine buzz was what she needed right now. When the school bell rang, she looked up and saw Will standing in the doorway.

Grinning and refreshed, Emma envied the clearly sound sleep he had enjoyed.

"Hey Em," he said, leaning over the desk to kiss her. She turned her face away and pushed back the chair so he couldn't reach her.

"What?" he asked, unsure why she was avoiding him.

"Will," she said sleepily, "everything I said yesterday was true, but that doesn't mean I'm ready for a relationship yet. I don't want to ruin things this time around."

He sighed and sat down opposite her, taking her hand loosely in his.

"I understand. We can't rush through this. How about you and me go on a date tomorrow night?"

"Hmm, that sounds nice," she smiled, squeezing his hand.

"I'll call you," he said, sliding his arm away from hers and leaving the room.

She composed herself as quickly as she could after the scent of his aftershave had left her feeling pleasantly lightheaded.

The rest of the day passed by slowly, the heaviness of her fatigue setting in more and more as each hour dragged on. She was excited, and waited patiently with her hand hovering over her phone, in case Will was to call. Having not seen him all day, she drove home and went to bed after eating a quick meal, hoping that she would not miss anything important.

* * *

On Tuesday morning, Emma awoke to the sound of her alarm at 5.30, well rested after a long ten hour sleep. She pulled on her dressing gown and tied it at the middle, tying back her hair and walking through the living room into the kitchen, where she turned on the coffee pot. Then she returned to the lounge, pressing a button on her phone to check the messages.

_No new messages._

Slightly disappointed that Will hadn't rung, she got dressed and headed off for work.

As soon as she sat down behind her desk, she could hear a faint ringing from within her handbag. She moved things around until her fingers touched the phone and she answered it immediately.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hi,"

"Will?" Emma asked, straightening out her skirt as if he were in the room.

"I said I'd call,"

"So you chose to call at 8 in the morning? You really need to work on this phone call thing."

"You answered didn't you?" he said, and she could almost hear the smirk in his voice.

"I suppose," she laughed gently, "What do you want anyway?"

"I thought you might like to go out with me tonight,"

"I would like that. Where?"

"I'll pick you up at 6," he said, and as the call ended, he appeared in the doorway of her office.

"Oh gosh Will, have you been standing there the whole time?"

"Yes," he grinned, walking towards her and kissing her cheek softly.

She watched his eyes, which were focused on her lips for a second, until he returned his gaze to hers. Remembering what her therapist had said about spontaneity and how she could try it out whenever the moment was there, Emma stood up from her seat and leant across the table, pressing her lips softly against his, but pulling away before he could return it.

He sighed as she sat back down. A sense of pride filled her; she had been able to kiss Will twice in three days, without the worry of her oral hygiene to spoil the moment. Something was beginning to set in after many long sessions with Dr. Stone and the medicine that she had been prescribed had been reduced after their last visit.

Suddenly a thought crossed her mind that made a troubled expression flash across her face.

"What is it?" Will asked, worried that she was having second thoughts about their relationship.

"I-I've just remembered I have an appointment with my therapist at 6 today,"

"Oh. I understand, Em. That's more important,"

"It's not that I don't want to go out with you Will, because I really do ... I just can't cancel on such short notice."

"Maybe I could come with you, for support? And then we could go somewhere afterwards."

Emma smiled at how much he wanted to be with her on that evening specifically, so she agreed to his idea and looked forward to the first proper date that they had been on for over a year.

* * *

Will routed through his vest collection, recalling how Emma had agreed to help him pack when he had been planning to leave McKinley, no matter how difficult it must have been for her. Eventually he decided against wearing a vest and dressed in the plain white shirt and thin black tie that he had worn to prom when he and Emma had danced together.

He was surprised when she had asked him to dance that night, though what had really been playing on his mind was that she had finally told him that she loved him. Emma Pillsbury actually loved him. The strong sense of adoration that he felt for her was reciprocated, and she trusted him enough to tell him.

Though their date had been partly obscured by Emma's therapist, he was ecstatic all the same to be spending any time with her. He wanted to take things slowly, so that he didn't ruin things, but the emotion he felt made it difficult to hold it all inside.

He picked her up and they went into Dr. Stone's office, where they waited in the waiting room.

Soon, the doctor emerged from a doorway and Emma went inside.

"How have things been over the past week, Emma?" she asked when they were both seated and she had her notebook prepared.

"Well, I suppose they've been good."

"Tell me what was good about it,"

"Um," Emma began, fidgeting with her hands, "I've got a lot of things off my chest."

"With Will?" Dr. Stone wondered, noticing that she had been waiting outside with a man.

"Yes. I think we're in a good place right now."

"That's fantastic, Emma. You're improving at a fast rate, and without the amount of help you used to require."

Emma blushed, though she was proud of herself and appreciated the kindness that her therapist had always shown her.

"I think a few more sessions are all you are going to need. You're managing to eat fruit just rinsed once and your showers take place at a steady rate. Everything is going well."

Dr. Stone smiled, her features softening. Her calm expression had truly encouraged Emma to work hard at her problems and was the main reason for her success. She passed a prescription to Emma, for half the amount of medication that she had first needed, and shook her hand before following her to the door.

When Emma stepped into the waiting room, Will stood up immediately and placed the magazine he had been browsing back onto a small glass coffee table. He shook hands with Dr. Stone and thanked her for the support that she had always offered to Emma. Then he stood aside to let Emma walk out of the building, holding his hand protectively behind her back and opening the door for her when they reached it. She grinned at him, relaxing in the knowledge of how much he cared about her.

**A/N: Thank you for reading for such a long time and please keep reviewing, I plan to keep writing for a few more chapters yet :)**


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